AAN has joined 12 other media organizations in filing a friend-of-the-court brief that supports Bloomberg LP reporters who are trying to access public records related to last year's financial bailout. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System argues that the records are exempt from disclosure under FOIA's exemption 4, which protects confidential financial information from disclosure. But the media organizations say the board hasn't met the burden of showing that disclosure is likely to cause substantial competitive harm.

Continue ReadingNews Organizations Support Bloomberg’s Bailout Suit

In a report on the newspaper industry's well-publicized woes, the New Orleans alt-weekly points out that "2009 has been a relatively good year for Gambit and many other locally owned, locally focused newspapers." The paper reports it avoided layoffs by decreasing its newsprint size and taking other cost-cutting measures and says it should fare well as the issues in the industry continue to shake out: "In the long run, the newspapers that survive will be those that have a special bond with their readers -- and we count ourselves among them."

Continue ReadingThe Gambit: We’ve Had a ‘Relatively Good Year’

The professed atheism of Cecil Bothwell, a former staff writer at the Mountain XPress who was elected to the Asheville City Council last month, is becoming an issue in North Carolina. Bothwell is facing a challenge that stems from an odd clause in the state's constitution, which bars politicians who deny the existence of God from holding office. Bothwell's opponents are considering a lawsuit over his being allowed to take office (he affirmed the oath of office last week), even though federal courts have ruled religious tests for public office are unlawful under the U.S. Constitution. Meanwhile, the case has gone nationwide, with the Associated Press, the Huffington Post and others weighing in. Last night, Bothwell appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show.

Continue ReadingAlt-Weekly Staffer-Turned-Politician’s Atheism Becoming Hot Issue

The Watchdog Institute, a newly formed investigative-journalism organization based in San Diego, recently published its first investigation, which looked at California's public list of registered sex offenders and mapped out how many in San Diego County currently live within 2,000 feet of a school or park. However, as CityBeat notes, the report -- which found that "more than 70 percent of registered sex offenders in San Diego County are violating a state law by living too close to schools and parks," was based on a flawed interpretation of Jessica's Law, the 2006 referendum that placed lifetime residence restrictions on California's sex offenders. The Watchdog Institute has thus far refused to issue a correction, so CityBeat's Kelly Davis launched a "Watchdog Watch" clock, timing how many days pass before the organization issues a correction.

Continue ReadingSan Diego CityBeat Debunks Investigative Institute’s Report

The bill to protect reporters' confidential sources in federal court cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 14-to-5 vote yesterday. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says it is "a new milestone this year for legislation that has been tabled, debated and amended for months in the committee." If the Senate approves the bill, it will still have to be reconciled with a different version already approved by the House.

Continue ReadingSenate Judiciary Committee Passes Federal Shield Bill